Game Of Hearts Casino Night Draws in Crowd for Life-Saving App

NORFOLK, NE — 1,000 people die every day in the United States from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). Faith Regional Health Services plans to change that through a fundraising event, Game of Hearts Casino Night. App proceeds from this years Game of Hearts will do directly towards the PulsePoint App. The App empowers everyday citizens to provide live-saving assistance through CPR. Faith Regional Foundation Director, Jake Claussen says a lot of work went into CPR education. “It really started a year ago when we started our CPS in schools initiative, which last years event raised funds for. We are so exited to bring PulsePoint to this community…Everyone on the committee, we are so excited to make this community healthier in any way we can. I think PulsePoint will do that and save lives. It's hard not to get excited about being apart of that." Over the last year, in order to bring awareness and education to CPR, Faith Regional’s Chest Pain and Stroke Coordinator, Jenny Simmons traveled to 56 schools where over 1,500 kids and staff learned to do CPR. “Hands only CPR is the first step for educating the community to react to emergency situations. With the PulsePoint app it blends perfectly to go hand-in-hand with hands only CPR." Faith Regional Health Service’s Emergency Medicine Physician, Dr. Lisa Yosten says that you have minutes until outcomes are irreversible, and out of hospital cardiac arrest is not very survivable. Dr. Yosten says the app nationally has seen a lot of success. Getting this app can only mean good things for Norfolk. “When you really look at it…there are a lot of off duty nurses, physicians, mid-level practitioners as well as law enforcement, EMS and EMT. If you look at all those people together that could respond in an off duty situation, that’s a lot of people." The app will only alert those who are within walking distance of a SCA incident. While most of the money has been raised for the app, it still must be approved by the city. Approval of the app will go in front of City Council on Monday.